Dear Friend,

Last week I introduced two bills – the “Hire a Veteran Week” Act and the Congressional Veteran Internship Act - designed to help servicemen and women secure employment when they return from deployment. My legislation would call attention to rising unemployment for young veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total number of unemployed veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has reached 170,000, nearly identical to the number of troops currently deployed to those countries.

The “Hire a Veteran Week” Act would call upon the President to proclaim an annual week that would remind businesses, unions, non-profits, trade associations, and agencies at all levels of government of the value of hiring veterans. The Congressional Veteran Internship Act would allow each member of Congress to hire one veteran as a Congressional intern for one year and would provide each veteran in the program a $25,000 stipend.

Our servicemen and women sacrificed so much to serve our country. Especially in these trying times, our country has an obligation to help them when they return home.

Opportunities for Energy Efficiency Funding

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act significantly invests in energy efficiency and new energy sources. The Recovery Act includes $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which allows families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient - reducing heating and cooling bills by an average of 32 percent and overall energy bills by hundreds of dollars per year.  The funding to support home weatherization supports adding more insulation, sealing leaks, and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment.

New Jersey has received nearly $120 million to help families save on energy costs. Click here to learn more about the program and find out if you are eligible.

An Important Civics Lesson

Students from Marlboro Memorial Middle School were treated to a memorable civics lesson last Monday, as they watched 44 immigrants from 23 countries take the oath as new citizens of the United States. As with past citizenship ceremonies I have helped organize in schools throughout Central New Jersey, it was inspiring to watch these men and women who have gone through the long, rigorous naturalization process raise their hands and publically choose to be U.S. citizens. It was not just a geography lesson for the students to consider the array of countries from which their neighbors have come. It was a lesson, especially for those who are American citizens by birth, that citizenship brings obligations worth working for.

Sincerely,

RUSH HOLT
Member of Congress

P.S. Just a reminder: I always want to hear from you, but please don’t reply to this e-mail.  Instead, please email me through my website at www.holt.house.gov, or call me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658) to let me know what's on your mind.  Please also note that you may unsubscribe from this list by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this email.